TABULA RASA

Paper Mache / Community Workshop

A community based instillation, which was conducted as a workshop for the residents inhabiting a space of conflict in Halasuru, Bangalore. The conflict was based in the discovery of a square kalyani (stepped tank) on the premises of the 800 year old Chola period monument, the Someshwara temple in Halasuru. The discovery of the kalyani lead to the destruction of homes and shops in the area as the temple been declared a heritage site - this directly affected the lives of the people who lived in and around the area, as well as their livelihoods.

As a means of healing or facilitating conversation we (Anukriti Kedia, Kamini Rao, and myself) looked at creating a platform that enabled communication between members of a community. We did this through the medium of workshops conducted on site, where people could come together, make and paint paper mache masks as a collective experience, in order to talk and resolve their issues, and reestablish a sense of security and understanding. The masks represented each person as integral parts of a community, and were collectively placed in a cocoon to symbolise starting afresh.